CORN SMUT 



219 



WEIGHT OP STALKS AND EARS OF SMUTTED AND CLEAN CORN 



BY GRAMS. 



Smutted. 



The average weight per stalk of the smutted corn is 225 grams, 

 while the average weight of the clean corn is 229 grams, being but 

 little better in weight of stalk. The average weight of the ear on 

 the smutted stalk is 162.8 grams, while the average weight of the 

 ears on the clean stalks is 213.3 grams, being decided in favor of the 

 ears on the clean stalks, representing a loss of 23.6 per cent in weight 

 of ears for the smutted corn.* 



Composition of Corn Smut. 



CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OP CORN SMUT COMPARED WITH CORN, 

 CORN STALK AND CORN FODDER IN PER CENT. 



The Bureau of Animal Industry has carried on extensive experi- 

 ments to determine whether or not corn smut is injurious to cattle, 

 the opinion being more or less prevalent that it is the cause of the 

 corn-stalk disease, and also conducive to abortion in cows. As much 

 as II pounds of corn smut per day was fed to some of the animals. 

 They seemed to relish it and the conclusion was reached that if smut 

 is eaten by cattle it need occasion no alarm, since the evil effects 

 which have been attributed to it do not follow. 



THE BURRILL BACTERIAL DISEASE. In 1889 Professor 



Burrill, of Illinois,** discovered a bacillus which is destructive to the 

 growing corn plant. He describes its attacks as follows: 



"The young plant is first affected in the roots, and also in full 

 grown corn stalks after midsummer, when it manifests itself by cer- 

 tain discolored areas, more particularly on the leaf sheaths. An at- 

 tack upon the very young plant means the dwarfing of its growth 

 and destruction of the crop. A lessened yield and valueless fodder 



*From Michigan Station. 



**Bulletin No. 6. Illinois Experiment Station, 1889. 



